The Federal Government has introduced the Coastal Highway Guards to safeguard the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway against vandalism, illegal occupation and other unauthorised activities.
The initiative was launched by the Minister of Works, David Umahi, with an initial deployment of 40 personnel, according to a statement shared on Sunday by the Senior Special Assistant on New Media to the Lagos State Governor, Jubril Gawat.
Gawat said the guards would maintain a visible presence along the highway and monitor activities capable of undermining the ongoing project.
He listed their responsibilities to include reporting suspicious movements, preventing hawking, monitoring and reporting vandalism, and restricting the use of motorcycles and tricycles as well as loitering along the highway.
“The Honorable Minister of Works, Senator @realdaveumahi, today launched the COASTAL HIGHWAY GUARDS, starting with 40 officers. These personnel will be in charge of:
“Maintaining presence on the highway; reporting suspicious activities; restricting hawking on the Coastal Highway;
“Reporting and monitoring any form of vandalism; restricting keke or okada on the Coastal Highway; and restricting loitering on the Coastal Highway,” Gawat wrote.
According to him, the initiative will be coordinated by retired General Adekunle Shodunke, with the guards expected to collaborate with security agencies operating in Lagos State.
Umahi, as quoted by Gawat, clarified that the initiative was not designed as an empowerment scheme but as a full-time employment arrangement focused on protecting public infrastructure.
“The Hon. Minister says this is not an ‘empowerment program’, It is a full time job to protect National Assets of the Government and in line with the Renewed Hope of Mr President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR,” Gawat quoted him as saying.
The launch followed concerns raised by Umahi over the activities of some individuals along portions of the coastal highway.
The minister had earlier on Sunday expressed alarm over reports of construction materials being removed and sections of the highway being occupied or used for activities unrelated to the project.
“We have had very terrible, unpatriotic elements removing the blocks, breaking the fence, removing the rods and treading on the highway. This must stop,” Umahi said.
He subsequently directed the Works Controller in Lagos to ensure that motorcycles, tricycles, hawkers and other unauthorised activities were removed from the highway.
“Their job is that no keke on the coastal highway, no motorcycle on the coastal highway, and no loitering. There is no superhighway all over the country where you see people loitering,” he said.
Umahi further disclosed that members of the National Assembly visited the highway with him at about 11pm, during which they reportedly found people sleeping along the route.
“Last night, we were there with the National Assembly members by 11 pm; people were sleeping on the coastal highway. It must stop. No hawking, no occupation illegally along the entire coast,” he stated.
The minister also urged the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, to intensify efforts to protect strategic national infrastructure.
He added that the Ministry of Works had opened its ongoing projects to scrutiny by relevant anti-corruption agencies as part of efforts to promote transparency and accountability in project implementation.
